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Tuesday, April 28, 2015

WHAT WE'RE WRITING--Hank Phillippi Ryan and WHAT YOU SEE

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN:
It’s what we're writing week, and I am being grateful for deadlines, because otherwise how would we
ever be finished? When I look back at my work (sometimes), or read it out loud
at events (rarely!) there is always some little thing I would change. Sigh. I
guess that’s good, always striving to be more evocative, more emotional, more
exciting. Shorter.

I’m five thousand words into a new
book—more on that soon. And every word feels like a triumph.Not that the words
are so great—simply that they exist, where there was once only a blank page!
And I keep telling myself that if I keep going, inevitably and inexorably, the
new story will emerge. So far, I’ve got a car accident, a murder victim, and a
new job for Jane. And that’s only the first three chapters. I can make it better later.

You know, every time I start a book, I have
a moment of thinking: this cannot be
done! And then, months and months later,
there it is. Now we are coming up to the pub date for the fourth Jane Ryland/Jake Brogan thriller, WHAT
YOU SEE. I am so excited to say it’s October 20, and why sure, you can pre-order.

WHAT YOU SEE begins with a murder in
broad daylight, a stabbing at Curley Park just outside Boston City Hall. (Inside info: This incident is very loosely
based on a case my defense attorney husband had! He represented the accused
killer. More on that another day…) Anyway, in the book at least: Soon after the
crime, a newbie police cadet takes our hero, Detective Jake Brogan, aside, and
tells him a bystander might have a lead on the bad guy.

Chapter 3

“Down that way—in the alley!” The cadet grabbed Jake’s arm, and Jake
followed the kid’s pointing finger toward the narrow curved passage between the
bank and the liquor store. “Some guy, hiding in a Dumpster. Down there. Or someone
put something in the Dumpster. Something like that.” The cadet gulped for air,
trying to get the words out. “A girl—I mean, a woman—told me. Anyway, what if
it’s the—”

“Ah, I don’t know, she just said—what I
said. The Dumpster. We were all taking names and addresses, see, they’re still
doing that, like you wanted, and she came up to me and—” The cadet’s black
plastic name tag said brad lonnergan.
Lonnergan pointed again, jabbing the air. “Down there. What if it’s the guy who—”

“You kidding me? Do you see her? Find
her.” This Lonnergan kid was not clear on the law enforcement concept. “Hold
her. Do not let her leave. Understand? D!”

Jake signaled DeLuca with one finger. Me. You. That way. Let’s go.

They couldn’t afford to spook the crowd.
All he needed, a mob following them into Franklin Alley, hooting like medieval
peasants while they dragged some poor jerk from a Dumpster. Jake, checking to
make sure D was behind him, snaked behind the spectators, dodging and weaving.
Only one or two seemed to notice they were on the move. He and D didn’t look
like cops, after all. Just two guys wearing jeans and leather jackets. Walking
fast.

Jake glanced over his shoulder again.
Most eyes focused on Kat McMahon, the ME now kneeling over the victim. For
once, better to keep it that way. Cadets—the ones with brains—were taking names
and addresses. Asking if anyone saw anything. Asking spectators with cameras
and cell phones to stand by. The whole thing was already verging on out of
control. And now this.But maybe this would solve the whole damn
case and they all could go home.

Ahead of them, the alley. Cracked
pavement, cobblestones scattered with gravel. Framed on the right by the bank’s
brand-new red brick, on the left by the pockmarked brownstone of Jodi’s Liquors
and the University Inn. With its twists and turns, only the first ten feet or
so of Franklin were visible from the street. Jake knew it was a dead end. If
someone was in there, like Lonnergan’s “girl-woman” said, there’d be no way out
except toward him and DeLuca. A bad guy who planned where he was going, or was
at least familiar with this part of the city, would never have chosen this as an
escape route. Unless he was panicking. Or hurt. Or trying to hide, waiting it
out.

Or luring them in? Trapping them?

At the curb, Jake stopped, put up a hand,
assessing. DeLuca skidded to a halt, almost slamming into Jake’s back. Broad
daylight, not like anyone could surprise them. The quiet hubbub of Curley Park
softened into background.

One second, two.

Jake felt for his Glock, drew it, felt
the sun on his face. A seagull squawked, swooping, headed for the harbor. Lured into a dead-end alley? Windows above.
Rooftops. Where was the woman who’d sent them down here? Who was she? Whose
side was she on? What if—well, there were too many what-ifs to consider right
now.

“You ready?” he said.

“Ready,” DeLuca said.

“On my three.” Jake began, “One.”

“Help!” A voice, from down the alley.
“Help me!”

“Three,” Jake said.

HANK: Okay, I like it. It still makes me smile. That‘s a good thing.

And let’s give away
an advance reading copy, whaddaya say? I
need a name for a female drama teacher at a small college in Boston. I was
thinking her first name is Sasha. What’s her last name? (No beginning with J,
or M, or D, or R. In fact, can it begin with V? )

Is she a good guy or a bad guy? Too early to tell. But I’ll choose an ARC winner at random for
the suggestions…and I’m hoping I can also use a name!

(And who is going to Malice this weekend? Crossing fingers for my Agatha-nominated TRUTH BE TOLD and WRITES OF PASSAGE!)

66 comments:

This excerpt really captures the tension of the investigation and the eagerness of the cadet. I can't wait to read on to see what happens next! Thanks for this; I have really enjoyed all the Jane Ryland/Jake Brogan stories and am looking forward to reading "What You See" . . . .

"V" surnames for Sasha? How about Vincent or Vaughn or Voigt or Volkov?

Hallie may have nailed it with Sasha Valentine -- that has a nice feel to it. But just in case that isn't it, I had been thinking Sasha Ventresca, Sasha Vianelli, or Sasha Van Horn.

I have a close friend who actually does teach theater at a small college in Boston, so of course I have a whole different perspective on what that person would be like than any of the comments so far. But I guess I'll just say this: remember, it may not be that she made it as far as a small college and no further....it may be that after years of acting, she decided to get some academic credentials and seek a settled life to raise a family. Yet another aspect of the book for me to look forward to!

To make Valentine more Russian, just drop the end "e": Valentin, or change it to Valentinov.

One thing I've learned from having a Russian/Polish last name is that female versions are different (mine, in Poland, would be Maslowska, for instance). So you could add "ska" to it, also, for authenticity.

I will be very happy to see you all at Malice this year. Can't wait for the Jungle Reds panel!

Oh, just got back to my offcie-to all these wonderful names! You all are BRILLIANT. And I am going from having nothing ( I was using Vogel, Sasha Vogel. Then I decided I had too many two-syllable names, so I made it Voglesby. Which is ridiculously made up, right?) to having so many wonderful ideas that I may give her two names!

Huh? What? I'm immediately ensconced in this story, and then it stops, so I have to come back to the real world. I love how easy you make it, Hank, to be swallowed up by the story. I think that's called great storytelling. If I had to choose just one word to describe you and your writing, it would be "solid." I can always expect a completely solid story, full of intense action and emotion that leads to a whole resolution using all of the parts. It's reflective of the solid, dependable person you are, Hank. Oh, I think I just started my review of What You See. I can't wait to read it!

Last name for Sasha? How about Sasha Vashti? The last name is actually the first name of my painter's female assistant.

*V (Why not simply "Sasha V"? There have been a few individuals with a surname consisting of only a single letter, or else it could be merely an affectation for stage purposes -- as would all of the above)

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